After receiving a cancer diagnosis, you may experience different emotions. These can be difficult to cope with. The same feelings may also be felt by partners, family members, and friends. Sharing your feelings can help you and others in your situation. In this blog, we will highlight some of the profound discussions that have taken place within our Emotional support forum. Our emotional support forum offers a safe space for connection, empathy, and shared experience.
Many Community members have expressed feeling angry at some point after being diagnosed. Anger can be directed at oneself, a loved one, or even a medical team member. One member reached out for support in our forum. They wrote about their struggle with anger and asked for advice.
A fellow Community member reassured them, writing that “it's okay to feel angry.” They suggested another way to channel their anger.
Another member replied and shared about their evolving emotions. They reminded the forum that feelings can change. We may feel one intense emotion one day, or even a sense of calm, and then feel differently the next. There is no right or wrong way to feel. Everyone is unique and deals with different emotions along the way.
Fear is a natural response when faced with a cancer diagnosis. One member expressed their experience of being frozen in fear. Their husband had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, and they did not want to get out and face the real world.
Another member was quick to reply with gratitude. Hearing from people experiencing the same emotion as you can be very comforting. It helps to know that we are not alone when dealing with these emotions. This member went on to write about dealing with anxiety and fear, saying they had “found it so hard to live with the fear.”
Even after completing cancer treatment and being declared “cancer free,” a whirlwind of emotions can ensue. Some members write about experiencing unexpected emotions after completing cancer treatment. Loss, confusion, guilt, and fear are common emotions during life after cancer. After finishing treatment for a rare form of cancer, this member shared experiencing a cloud of emotion.
One of our Community champions replied, reassuring them they were not alone in how they felt.
Our Emotional Support forum is a beacon of hope and resilience. A place where members are free to express their feelings without judgement. It is a safe space that welcomes anxiety, depression, fear, and all the emotions that can accompany a cancer journey.
You might be dealing with challenging emotions currently. If so, we encourage you to join our Emotional support forum today. Our Online Community is there, ready to lend a listening ear, a comforting word, or a virtual hug to anyone in need.
At Macmillan, we are here to offer different types of support. If you need someone to talk to you can:
You can also find cancer support groups in your area.
If you are concerned about your emotional well-being or mental health, help is available from the NHS on 111 for England and Scotland, NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 for Wales and you can find an out-of-hours service on NI Direct if you’re in Northern Ireland.
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